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There was no reason for Lakeside’s Sarah Bowles to be nervous Tuesday – she’d already signed to run for Georgia Tech.

After having previously signed her letter of intent to run cross country and track for the Yellow Jackets, Bowles was joined by family and friends at her letter of intent signing ceremony at the high school.

Bowles considered looking at out-of-state schools or possibly going to Georgia to join her sister Anna, who is a sophomore runner for the Bulldogs.

However, once she visited Georgia Tech, the answer was clear.

“Not only is it like a really great academic place, they’re actually No. 1 in the nation or No. 2 in my intended major, but also the coaches and the team are a perfect fit for me and I really connected with them on my official visit,” said Bowles, who plans on studying bio-medical engineering.

Having her friend and former teammate Katie Townsend, who is a sophomore at the school, didn’t hurt.

“It was definitely great to see her and just hear her opinion of how it’s been going and that really helped me out,” Bowles said. “It will definitely be cool to run with Katie again.”

Bowles was the 2012 Region 2-AAAAA cross country runner-up and was 13th at the state meet.

Last year she finished third in the 1,600 meters and fifth in the 3,200 at the state meet.

The signing doesn’t take any pressure off her for the coming track season.

“This track season I still have big goals,” she said. “I want to show the coaches at Georgia Tech that I’m really excited about next year and show them what I’m capable of.”

Lakeside cross country coach Jerry Meitin has no doubt that she will do well at Georgia Tech.

“I remember the first time I saw her running as a middle school student,” Meitin said.

“You knew she was fast,” he said. “Then you get to know her and she was such a great leader as a captain. She will excel at Tech because she excels at everything she tries to do.”